This invention generally relates to video-on-demand; and more specifically, the invention relates to monitoring various aspects of video-on-demand services.
Video-on-demand (VOD) is a service system in which customers or subscribers are able to choose interactively various programs stored in a video source and can view a selected program at any time, instead of only receiving predetermined television programs from broadcasting stations. The VOD users are normally able to operate the selected programs in the same way they are able to use a video cassette recorder, including replay, rewinding, pause and recording of the served video programs. In addition, numerous video and audio services such as video games, video conferencing and home shopping can be offered to the users of the VOD service system.
Developing provision of a large assortment of video and other multimedia presentations in video-on-demand, VOD, and presentation-on-demand, POD, to large groups of viewers requires control, monitoring and maintenance of many different facets of the provision. This includes obtaining, updating, storing, deleting and/or archiving the presentations; providing connectivity assets for provision of each requested presentation (this includes: [multiple] channel identification; and dividing and subdividing primary, secondary and tertiary servers at regional [central] offices to efficiently provide each presentation to a particular group of users in its regions in satisfying each users particular time to view the particular presentation. Other important facets of VOD include receiving, routing, and combining user requests; monitoring each user's usage for cost determination and billing; and determine the healthfulness of all facets of the provision, etc.